U.S. seeks Human Rights Council seat

NEW YORK (CNN) - The United States is seeking a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council this year, the Obama administration announced Tuesday, in contrast to the previous administration, which was critical of the group.

Joining the council would signal the "new era of engagement" between the United States and other nations, the State Department said in a statement.

"Human rights are an essential element of American global foreign policy," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. "With others, we will engage in the work of improving the UN human rights system to advance the vision of the UN Declaration on Human Rights."